


it's not christmas without you

by cryingintheclub



Category: Men's Football RPF
Genre: Bad Weather, Christmas, Christmas cliches, Fluff, Getting Together, Kid Fic, M/M, Snow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:32:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21658195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cryingintheclub/pseuds/cryingintheclub
Summary: An unfortunate blizzard has left Łukasz stranded back in Dortmund and unable to get home to Poland for Christmas. Seeing how upset Łukasz is, Mats invites his teammate and his daughter over to celebrate Christmas with him. Łukasz does not believe in Christmas miracles (especially not after his flight being cancelled) but maybe, just maybe, this was a Christmas miracle all along.
Relationships: Mats Hummels/Łukasz Piszczek
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	it's not christmas without you

**Author's Note:**

> this is inspired from the christmas present wrapping challenge on bvb's youtube account when Mats and Łukasz are wrapping presents together. this is all just an excuse to write christmas fluff

Łukasz thinks he is going to cry. 

Łukasz hasn’t cried in a long time. He didn’t cry when he retired from the Polish National Team, as he knew his time was up, that he had given everything he possibly could. 

But right now, standing in a crowded airport that was thrown into a frenzy with flights being cancelled every few minutes, Łukasz thinks he is going to cry.

“_Tata_, what’s happening?” Łukasz’s four-year-old daughter, Anya asks. She’s sitting in the baby seat of the trolley, her legs swinging about obliviously. 

“We are not going back to Poland for Christmas, _kochanie_,” Łukasz says to his daughter as he adjusts her beanie to cover her ears. 

“Why not?” Anya asks as she continues swinging her legs. She hits Łukasz’s legs every few swings. 

“Our flight is cancelled because of bad weather,” Łukasz tells his daughter, and awaits her reaction. 

Anya’s brow furrows. “Cancelled?” She drags the word out, trying to pronounce it. “Is that when something doesn’t happen?” 

Łukasz can’t help but smile. ”Yes. Good job!” His daughter is much smarter than he was at her age. 

“It’s okay, _Tata_,” Anya continues, “it is not your fault about bad weather. You and I will still have Christmas here!” 

Łukasz is so overwhelmed by emotion that he leans over and hugs his daughter. He feels guilty over this situation; if he hadn’t left the flight to the last minute, to Christmas Eve, they may already have been in Poland surrounded by Łukasz’s family. 

“We should go home before the bad weather hits,” Łukasz says out loud, more to himself than to his daughter. He pushes the trolley, heading for the double doors of the airport when he hears a voice calling out his name. 

Łukasz looks around the airport, trying to find out who is calling out his name until his eyes land on his teammate. 

Mats Hummels is standing several metres away, sheepishly smiling at him with his hands in his pockets. He’s rugged up as well, with a thick parka jacket most likely with multiple layers underneath and a grey cotton scarf wrapped around his neck topped off with a matching grey beanie. 

Łukasz has to admit he looks cute all rugged up, but he stops that thought before it turns it grows. 

Mats walks over to him and Łukasz is panicking. How is he going to explain this situation without looking like a complete idiot? 

“How are you, Łukasz?” Mats asked, even though they saw each other three days ago, when the team had their Christmas dinner and exchanged Secret Santa gifts. 

“Good, how are you?” Łukasz asks politely, hoping his tone doesn’t betray how he’s really feeling. 

“Are you going on a flight?” Mats asks, gesturing to the trolley filled with Łukasz and Anya’s suitcases. 

“No —” 

“We were,” Anya begins, cutting her father off, “but the flight got cancelled.” She struggles to correctly pronounce the word. 

Łukasz wants to groan. He has taught his daughter that honesty is the best policy and now it’s gone and bitten him in the backside. 

Mats’ face softens as he looks at Łukasz with sympathy. “I’m sorry to hear that.” 

“Stupid blizzard,” Łukasz mutters under his breath quietly, so only Mats could hear it. He didn’t need Anya calling every second person stupid just because she heard her father use the word. 

“What are your plans now for Christmas?” Mats asks. 

“Probably just spending it with this one,” Łukasz answers and points to Anya, before he starts tickling her, causing her to shriek and giggle as he pokes her sides. 

Mats watches Łukasz and his daughter with a fond expression on his face, and it leaves Łukasz breathless, as though he was the one getting tickled. 

“You can come and spend it with me, if you want,” Mats offers, “I’m not doing anything. You won’t be a bother.”

“You’re not?” Łukasz questions, surprised. 

“Don’t really have anybody to celebrate with,” Mats answers. 

Łukasz knows about his divorce, but what about his parents? His family? “What about your family?” 

“Not... spending it with my family,” Mats muttered vaguely. From the definitive tone in Mats’ voice, Łukasz knows he won’t be getting anything else out of the man, even though Łukasz is curious as to why he isn’t spending Christmas with his family. 

Łukasz can’t say no to Mats’ offer; not when Mats will be spending Christmas alone while Łukasz will be spending it with his daughter, watching children’s Christmas movies and drinking hot chocolate. 

“If it’s not too much of a bother, then we would love to join you.” 

Łukasz watches as Mats smiles, a big, genuine smile that reaches his eyes. It’s the first time Łukasz has seen Mats genuinely happy in the last few weeks, and he thinks it may have something to do with Mats not spending Christmas with his family. 

“I’ll drive us back to my house,” Mats says as he and Łukasz start walking out of the airport and into the chilly winter air. The air was icy and sharp — evidence that a blizzard was going to come. “We better hurry up before the blizzard arrives.” 

Mats helps Łukasz place suitcases in Łukasz’s car, and then sits in the passenger’s seat, watching in the rear-view mirror as Łukasz straps his daughter in. He’s got a smile tugging his lips, and it makes Łukasz’s heart skip a beat. Łukasz doesn’t think twice about it, blaming this unusual behaviour on the stress with having his flight cancelled on Christmas Eve. 

Mats turns on the radio and Mariah Carey’s _All I Want For Christmas Is You_ starts to play. He starts to sing along as he drives, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel as they come to a stop at a red light. Anya joins in the singing too, clapping and singing off-key as she bobs her head. 

Łukasz smiles at the sight; he’s glad Anya took the news well. Although this is not how he planned to spend Christmas, he is determined to make sure Anya has the best Christmas of her life. 

The song changes to _Santa Claus is Coming To Town,_ and Łukasz doesn’t think it is possible, but Mats and Anya continue to sing even louder. Anya’s on the verge of yelling as she kicks around in her car-seat. 

The car ride to Mat’s house is filled with singing Christmas songs. Łukasz joins in after being pestered by Mats and his daughter, and they are finishing off _Jingle_ _Bells_ when Mats pulls up into his driveway. 

Łukasz thinks Mats looks... _sad_ as he parks the car and turns the engine off, cutting off the sound of the radio station host taking in calls of how callers were spending their Christmas. 

Łukasz unstraps his daughter as Mats takes out the suitcases, rolling them to the front door. Mats unlocks his front door and gestures for Łukasz to step in. Łukasz does step in, surprised at how warm Mats’ house is. He takes his shoes off and leaves them by the front door, his daughter following his example. She grabs his hand as Mats grabs the suitcases and lifts them into the house. He takes off his own shoes and slides into warm slippers. 

Looking down at Łukasz’ socked feet Mats says, “I have a spare pair of slippers, if you want.” 

Łukasz nods his head, “thank you.” 

Mats heads down the hall looking for the pair of slippers. Łukasz crouches and unlocks his daughter’s suitcase, retrieving her pair of bright pink slippers. 

“Thank you, _Tata_,” Anya says as she slips her tiny cat-covered socked feet into her slippers. She gives him a hug, wrapping her arms around his neck. Łukasz hugs her back, and the two stay like that until Mats reappears, scratching his head awkwardly at interrupting the father-daughter moment. 

Mats doesn’t say anything to Łukasz as he hands him the slippers — they’re bright yellow, contrasting to Mat’s plain black slippers. Łukasz doesn’t comment on how they resemble BVB’s colours. 

Mats sees Anya’s bright pink slippers and her cat-patterned pink socks. “I think I can guess what you’re favourite colour is,” Mats says to Łukasz’s daughter as he crouches down to her height. 

“What is it?” 

Mats pretends to think hard about his answer before he says, “it’s blue.” 

Anya giggles. “Not silly, it’s pink.” She points to her socks and slippers, “see?” 

Mats exaggerates shaking his head, “silly me. I’m not smart, not like you.” 

“You are silly,” Anya agrees and giggles again. 

Łukasz‘s heart skips a beat at seeing Mats’ interaction with his daughter. He doesn’t know why he is acting up this way. He attributes it to the stress of having his flight cancelled. 

“What do you and your dad usually do on Christmas?” Mats asks Anya. 

“When we are back in Poland, we watch Christmas movies, have hot chocolate and eat lots of food!” Anya answers, a large smile on her face. 

Mats looks back up at Łukasz, who smiles back at his teammate.

“We can do all that here, if you would like,” Mats tells Anya, who smiles widely again. 

“Yes, please!” She replies instantly. Then, she remembers something, and turns to her father. “Is that okay, _Tata_?” 

Łukasz nods his head, “Mats says it’s okay.” 

“How about we go choose some Christmas movies to watch?” Mats suggests. 

Anya nods her head, jet black braids smacking her in the face as she does so. 

The three walk down the hall and into the main living space. They’re currently standing in the dining room, where a large rectangular table is placed in the centre. The kitchen is beside the dining room, with a marble counter top the feature of the kitchen. 

The opposite end of the dining room has a set of two small steps which lead into the lounge room, where a large flat screen television is set up that takes up majority of the wall. Black leather lounges line up the back wall of the room and the right wall of the room. To the left, a black leather reclining armchair is lined up against the wall, a woolly light grey blanket draped on it. 

Mats’ Christmas tree stands proudly in the corner of the room, covered in Christmas decorations. The tree is wrapped up in gold tinsel. Łukasz had noticed that when they walked into the house, the staircase leading upstairs was wrapped up in bright blue tinsel. 

Mats flicks on the power point and the tree light start to flicker red, blue, green and yellow alternatively. Anya gasps, enthralled by the tree. 

“I like your tree,” Anya says to Mats as she takes particular interest to a decoration of Santa stuck in a chimney. 

“Thank you,” Mats replies, smiling. 

Łukasz scans the room again. The stand underneath the television has a snowman holding a large snowball placed on the left. Mats grabs the snowman and turns it over, flicking the switch. Łukasz watches as the snowball changes colour; to green, to aqua, to dark blue, to red, to purple, then back to green again. The right side of the cupboard has a toy Santa holding ski’s. Mats encourages Anya to place it on the floor and turn it on, and to her amusement it starts singing and ski around the floor. Mats has to redirect the Santa toy so it doesn’t run into him. When it is done, Anya claps and laughs and Mats turns it off and places it back on the stand. 

Łukasz doesn’t understand how Mats — who clearly adores Christmas, if his decorated house is any indication — was going to spend Christmas alone had he not bumped into Łukasz and Anya at the airport. Łukasz’s heart clenches. He had his daughter, while Mats had nobody. Łukasz knew of Mats’ divorce, as he mentioned it when he first arrived back to Dortmund when Marco noticed that Mats had arrived back alone. 

“Can we watch _The Grinch_?” Anya asks both her father and Mats.

Łukasz looks to Mats, who answers for them, “of course. I can make us some hot chocolate as well.” 

“With marshmallows?” Anya asks. 

“With marshmallows,” Mats confirms. 

“You need to change into your pyjamas, little lady,” Łukasz says to his daughter. Anya squeals in delight as Łukasz picks her up and begins to tickle her. 

“First door down the hall on the right,” Mats says, answering Łukasz’s question before he asks. Łukasz thanks Mats with a smile before walking back down the hall with Anya in his arms. 

Łukasz helps Anya change into her pyjamas in the bathroom. Her pyjamas are Christmas themed, with a red and white striped candy cane pattern.

“Are you and Mats friends, _Tata_?” Anya asks as Łukasz is tucking in her pyjama top into her pyjama pants. 

Łukasz tries to hide his shock as he answers, “we are teammates.” 

“But are you friends?” At his daughter’s question, Łukasz can’t help but wish his daughter wasn’t as smart and perceptive as she is. 

“We are not close friends, but we are friends,” Łukasz answers, giving his daughter the truth. Anya is happy with her father’s answer as she smiles and nods her head. 

Łukasz and Anya walk back to see Mats adding marshmallows into the last mug of hot chocolate. Anya rushes to the bench to grab a mug, but Mats stops her. 

“They’re still hot. You don’t want to burn yourself,” Mats says to her. Anya nods her head as she jumps to place herself on a kitchen stool. She steals a marshmallow and throws it into her mouth, pink powder covering the corners of her mouth. Mats laughs and grabs a Christmas-themed napkin and wipes away the marshmallow powder. 

“Thank you,” Anya thanks Mats as she kicks her little legs in the air. She’s eyeing the hot chocolate, but has enough patience and self-control to wait until she can hold it without burning her hands.

Mats hands Anya and Łukasz their mugs of hot chocolate. Anya instantly takes a sip as they walk into the lounge room. Łukasz tells Anya to be careful as she sits down on the rug to drink her hot chocolate. She steals several cushions from the lounges and places them around her, so she can lie on the floor comfortably and drink her hot chocolate while watching the movie.

Mats sets up the movie and the room falls silent as it starts. Anya laughs throughout the entire movie as she drinks her hot chocolate, finishing it in the first five minutes of the movie. Łukasz finds himself enjoying it, laughing here and there at particularly funny parts.

It’s late when they finish watching the movie, and Anya has yawned three times in the last five minutes. Her eyes are getting heavy, drooping shut before she wills herself to open her eyes again. 

“Someone’s tired,” Łukasz comments as he picks up his daughter. She’s not as light as she used to be, and picking her up can be a challenge, but Łukasz still does it anyway, especially when she’s half-asleep in his arms. 

Anya just nods, eyes closed and head resting against his shoulder. 

“I’ll show you to the guest bedroom,” Mats says and carries up Łukasz and Anya’s suitcases up the stairs. Łukasz’s eyes are on Mats as he follows his teammate up the stairs. His eyes travel to Mats’ firm backside before he looks back up again to the back of Mat’s head. His cheeks heat up. 

Mats opens the door to the guest bedroom, which was two doors down from Mats’ bedroom, and places the suitcases by the foot of the bed. Łukasz follows him in, still holding Anya in his arms. 

Mats is the one to break the silence between them. “I’ll see you in the morning, then. Good night.” 

“Good night, Mats,” Łukasz says. As Mats heads for the door, Łukasz calls out his name. Mats turns around. “Thank you,” Łukasz says appreciatively. 

Mats just smiles at Łukasz before closing the door behind him. 

* * *

Łukasz wakes up the next morning with his daughter jumping on the bed beside him, narrowly missing jumping on his stomach and leaving him winded. 

Upon seeing that her father is awake, Anya cries out with the impatience of a four-year-old, “come on, Tata! It’s Christmas! I want to open presents!” 

Łukasz is glad he placed Anya’s presents underneath Mats’ tree before he went to bed last night. It was the least he could do for his daughter after having their plans flipped upside down. “Not before breakfast. Just because we are celebrating Christmas differently doesn’t mean things change.” Anya just huffs at this, knowing it was impossible arguing with her father about this. 

Mats is already cooking breakfast in the kitchen when Łukasz and Anya come downstairs. Two sets of waffles each are placed on three plates, two doused in maple syrup and one doused in Nutella. Strawberries that have been meticulously cut are placed on the plate beside the waffles, as well as blueberries. 

“Morning,” Mats says to Łukasz and Anya. “Happy Christmas.” 

“Happy Christmas, Mats,” Anya says as she walks over to Mats and wraps her arms around Mats’ waist. Mats hugs Anya back. 

Łukasz wishes Mats a happy Christmas as Anya sits down on the stool behind the counter and begins eating her Nutella waffles. Mats gestures for Łukasz to eat his breakfast also as Mats takes the last plate of waffles. 

The three eat breakfast in silence. Anya shoves small cut-up pieces of waffles in her mouth at a rapid pace, as though she wants to eat it all before it disappears. 

“Slow down, Anya,” Łukasz says to his daughter, not wanting her to choke. He knows she wants to eat as fast as she can so she can open up her presents. Her patience runs thin on most days, and on days such as Christmas and her birthday, her patience is non-existent. 

Anya barely has placed her fork down on her plate when she jumps off the kitchen stool and races to the lounge room. She has a mouthful of waffle in her mouth as she's running, and Łukasz fears she's going to choke on it. Łukasz and Mats finish their breakfast and together make their way to the lounge room where Anya is tearing the wrapping paper off her first Christmas present. 

She gasps in excitement as she sees the Elsa doll. She looks up to her father. “Thank you, _Tata_!” she cries out. Łukasz smiles at his daughter as she continues opening her presents. Łukasz sits down on the lounge, Mats beside him. Mats' thigh is pressed up against Łukasz's, causing heat to flare up Łukasz spine and around his body. 

Once Anya has opened up all her presents, she hugs her father. “Thank you, Tata,” she says to Łukasz. 

“You're very welcome,” he replies, hugging her back. 

Mats suggests to make Christmas-themed cookies with green and red M&M's, in light of the weather is due to turn in the next few hours. It started to snow heavily as Anya was opening her presents, and Anya presses her face against the window and watches the snow falling in awe.

They spend the morning baking M&M cookies, with Anya sticking her finger in the batter several times to taste the batter and Łukasz scolding her as a result. Mats laughs at Anya. “Don't laugh, you're encouraging her,” Łukasz says to Mats. Once the cookies are in the oven, Mats and Łukasz begin to wash the dishes. Anya goes back to the lounge room as Mats puts on the television for her. Łukasz can hear cartoons blaring from the lounge room as he dries a tray. 

“It's just you and Anya, is it?" Mats asks, initiating conversation. 

Łukasz nods. “That's why we go to Poland for Christmas, so Anya can spend time with her grandparents and cousins. I know it's hard for her being in a different country without her family." 

"Does Anya see her mother?" Mats asked, with a hint of hesitance in his voice, as though he is afraid of upsetting Łukasz. 

Łukasz shakes his head. "Her mother is not in the picture anymore. Hasn't been for a long time." There's no bitterness in Łukasz' voice. He has accepted a long time ago that he was going to be the sole parental figure in his daughter's life, and he would try his hardest to be the best parent for his daughter. 

"Is it hard?" Mats asks softly. 

"It was hard in the beginning," Łukasz admits. "Especially when she used to see kids her age with two parents and used to ask why she only had one." Mats' eyes soften at this, and Łukasz knows that it isn't pity, but in sadness. "But she's a good kid. She's mature for her age, much maturer than I was at her age." 

"That's thanks to you," Mats replies. "I've only spent about half a day with her, but you've done a good job raising her so far." 

"Thanks, Mats," Łukasz says. It means a lot, especially coming from someone who wasn't his parents or siblings. He isn't a person who craves validation, but it is nice to hear that he's doing a good job in raising his daughter. He adds lightly, "if you keep encouraging her behaviour you're going to undo all my good work." 

"Are you saying I'm a bad influence?" Mats asks, with a hint of mirth in his eyes. It's the Mats Łukasz knows from before his transfer to Bayern. When Mats first arrived back to Dortmund, he mostly kept his head down and worked hard. Now, after a few months back in the yellow and black, he's started to come back out of his shell again. 

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Łukasz teases. Łukasz doesn't realise how close he and Mats have gotten until he feels Mats' arm brushing his own. A lump forms in Łukasz' throat at the proximity. Mats opens his mouth, about to say something when - 

"_Tata_, Mats, can we watch some Christmas movies?" Anya interrupts whatever Mats was going to say, as he closes his mouth with a hint of dejectedness in his facial expression. 

Łukasz turns to his daughter. "Of course. We'll be there shortly." 

Anya is happy with her father's response as she skips back to the lounge room. Łukasz turns back to face Mats. "Sorry about that. Were you going to say something?" 

Mats shakes his head, "no it's okay. It's nothing important." Mats heads out of the kitchen and into the lounge room, leaving Łukasz frowning at his failed attempt at nonchalance. 

* * *

The rest of Christmas Day is spent watching Christmas movies and snacking on the Christmas cookies made. Łukasz had been worried at the high amount of sugar they were all consuming but Mats had told him to lighten up and said what the team dieticians didn't know wouldn't hurt them. The three were all seated on one lounge, Anya sitting in her father's lap with her feet placed in Mats' lap. They have just finished watching_ How The Grinch Stole Christmas_. It is past eight o'clock and Anya is tired, unsuccessfully stifling her yawns. 

"I think it's time for bed," Łukasz states as Anya holds up her arms for Łukasz to pick her up. Łukasz obliges and carries her in his arms. 

"Good night, Anya." Mats waves to Anya. 

"Good night, Mats," Anya responds, waving back to Mats. She then yawns loudly, too tired to cover her mouth. Łukasz scolds her about using her manners and Anya pulls a face at her father. Mats laughs from where he is seated on the lounge. 

Łukasz tucks in his daughter as he says good night and leaves a kiss on her forehead. “Good night, _Tata_. Love you,” Anya says before she closes her eyes. 

“Love you too,” Łukasz replies to his daughter before he shuts the bedroom door. 

Heading back downstairs, Łukasz is greeted with the sight of Mats in the kitchen making two mugs of steaming hot chocolate. “I thought you might like a mug,” Mats mumbles, heat rising to the back of his neck as he takes a sip from his own mug. 

“Thanks,” Łukasz replies as he too takes a sip of his mug. 

"Do you want to go sit in the lounge? We can watch another movie if you like," Mats suggests. 

Łukasz nods his head. He's not that tired considering how early Anya woke him up this morning, and he wants to spend some time with Mats alone. He feels guilty at not making more of an effort with Mats when he transferred back to Dortmund from Bayern, especially since they were teammates and relatively good friends before. The two men walk over to the lounge room and sit side-by-side on the lounge. They leave a small gap between them as Mats turns on the television. _Love Actually_ has started and Mats settles into the couch. 

"Didn't know you were such a romantic," Łukasz comments teasingly. 

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me," Mats replies coyly, but Łukasz spots the blush that creeps up to his cheeks from the light of the television. 

"Apparently," Łukasz replies. Before he knows what he is doing he adds, "but I would like to find out." 

Mats freezes at Łukasz' words and Łukasz is worried he's said the wrong thing. Łukasz opens his mouth to apologise but Mats cuts him off. 

"You really mean that?" 

"Of course, why else would I have said it? You know I don’t play around," Łukasz responds, his ears being filled with the sound of his heart beating loudly in his chest. 

"So," Mats begins, taking the mug out of Łukasz's hands and placing it on the floor beside the couch, "if I did this, you wouldn't mind?" Mats leans in close, his lips so close to Łukasz and all he wants to do is close the gap - 

"I don't quite understand what you mean. Maybe you could give me a demonstration," Łukasz states coyly, hoping Mats gets the hint. 

Mats does get the hint and closes the gap between them. The first thing Łukasz thinks about is how surprisingly soft Mats’ lips are, unlike his own which are rough and cracked from the cold weather. Mats shifts closer to Łukasz without breaking the kiss as his hands roam across Łukasz's clothed body. Łukasz gently guides Mats down on the couch, placing him on his back as Łukasz places his thighs in between Mats’ legs and leans over him. They keep kissing until they're breathless and need to break the kiss for air. 

Mats' cheeks are flushed and are pink and Łukasz knows he's most likely the same. Łukasz can't keep the smile off his face as he takes a sip from his now lukewarm hot chocolate. "That was unexpected," Łukasz comments. 

"But good?" Mats asks, looking for reassurance. It was a contrast to Mats how Mats normally was; full of confidence and charm. 

"But good," Łukasz confirms and leans over to kiss Mats again. 

"I'm starting to think having my flight cancelled was the best thing to happen this Christmas," Łukasz says as they break away from the kiss again. Mats' lips are red and swollen from kissing and Łukasz thinks it is one of the most beautiful sights he's ever seen. 

"That makes two of us," Mats replies as he leans into the couch. "Now shush, I want to watch _Love Actually_." 

Łukasz just laughs as he wraps an arm around Mats who rests his head on Łukasz's shoulder. 

This isn’t the Christmas Łukasz had in mind, but it has turned out to be the best Christmas of his life, and he wouldn’t change it for the world. 


End file.
